Shattered Perfection
by promise.me.forever
Summary: Gabriella Montez is as happy as can be. She is excited for her wedding, But.. it's funny how one note can ruin everything. Can an old friend help her remember what love is really supposed to be like? ABANDONED.
1. Prelude

**Author's Note: I'm back! And with a new story! I can just picture the smiles on your faces. Just kidding. ;) Anyway, here's the first chapter of my new story. More detailed summary is on my profile. And, yes, I know this prelude is short. I know. It's only the beginning. My chapters are much longer, I promise you. But anyways, hope you enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own High School Musical. **

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I, Gabriella Montez, am not one to be perfect. I don't expect things to run flawlessly for me, but I also don't believe in fairy tales or happy endings. The plot of a young, innocent girl and a handsome young prince falling in love is too overused; as well as impossible in this day and age.

I can't believe I almost thought it could happen to me.

People say that when one falls in love, they are blind to their surroundings. They're blind to everyone and everything around them, because their thoughts are too consumed by that one special person. I guess this happened to me, because I apparently couldn't see the signs that _he_ was sending off. I was too engulfed in the thought of being married and happy; much like a fairy tale ending.

You see, I don't believe in these things anymore. They're quite impossible to conquer. Being a little girl, I used to think that one day a handsome guy would come and sweep me off my feet.

Boy was I wrong.

I dreamt he would be there for me when I was upset; to wipe away my tears and tell me comforting things. Tell me that everything would be fine, life would go on, and he would be by my side always. But how does that one person be there when they're the one that made you cry?

In my mind, the perfect man would do the little things; buy flowers just because. Or call during work just to say I love you. Even go out of his way to write a note before he leaves for work in the morning, just to let me know he's catching a later train to come home.

It's not about how expensive the gift was for my birthday, how shiny the ring was, or even where he took me to dinner to propose. A handmade card would've been fine for my birthday, just to show that he took out the time to make it, or that he thought about me. And he could've proposed to me with a simple twenty five cent ring and a walk in the park.

Well, okay, maybe that was an exaggeration. But he didn't _have_ to take me out to a really nice restaurant to do so, or buy a really expensive ring. I mean, what was the point of purchasing something so expensive, when he wasn't even on planning to cherish it?

My perfect guy would hold my hand when we go out; for the reason that he wants to be close to me. He would tell me I'm beautiful, even when I just woke up with bed head, mascara all under my eyes; the whole nine yards. Not criticize me and tell me to go take a shower, but love me even more for it because I'm comfortable being like that around him.

Sadly, I've come to the conclusion that these 'perfect' men don't exist. They're simply only written about; giving hope to little girls all over the world, that one day, a prince will come for them.

How wrong they are.

Which is why I don't believe in love anymore; it simply only exists in books and short stories, who are written apparently by writers and authors who wish life was like their stories. That's why it's under the _fiction _section.

I mean, after what happened to me…I lost all sense of security in men. Honestly, he seemed like the sweetest person when I first met him. Now I know that things aren't always what they seem. In fact, the _only_ person who has shown true concern for me was back in high school; almost seven years ago. But how many people exactly end up marrying their high school sweetheart? Apparently, not many.

Which brings me to today. I really don't know why Taylor's dragging me to visit her friends; I don't _want_ to see any of her friends. I want to lock up in my room, have a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, a book and be done with it. She said her friends would help me. What exactly is she planning for them to do to me? I mean really, talking about lip gloss and which guy they think is the hottest on the current show they're watching will really brighten up my day.

Again, a book and ice cream seems a much more likely resort.

But no, here I am; head resting against the car window, watching the long, never ending highways wind into the horizon. Next to me, Taylor is driving happily; humming along to the current song playing softly from the radio. Tearing my gaze away from her, I rolled my eyes. It's funny how your friend can be so happy, when yet you feel like crap.

But I guess you would like to know what exactly happened to me, in order for me to get this bitter and unhappy.

Well, I'll tell you. But it might not be your 'happy two people hopelessly in love story'. It's not the whole, prince and princess fairy tale, nothing can go wrong story; because, trust me; many things went wrong.

No. Mine is much different.

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**Author's Note: Yes, short. And if anything seems confusing, terribly sorry, but it will get cleared up in the next chapter. I promise you all. But anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Please review! Thanks! **


	2. Verano de León

**Author's Note: We meet again. Well, I'll start off by saying I'm really sorry for the wait on this. There really are no excuses; just me being lazy and not writing. It might suck, but ah well. Really sorry. Anyways, thank you all who reviewed, for this story and my oneshot, _The Kissing Booth._ BTW: Some say that the dialogue between Troy & Gabriella at the end was confusing, so I apologize. Anywho, on with the story. Enjoy. ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical or the characters, blah, blah, blah. I'm only saying all that technical jargon so I won't get sued. ;)**

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**One Year Earlier**

"Fred, come on, just tell me where we're going!" I screeched with excitement, sitting in the front seat of the blue BMW that Fred owned.

Smiling as he drove, Fred shook his head. "No, you're just going to have to wait," he replied, keeping his hands on the wheel.

I sighed and sat back in my seat. "Fine, but can you at least tell me how far we are?" I pleaded, giving him the puppy-dog-pouty face. I stuck out my bottom lip and made it tremble, staring at him with wide eyes. _He always gives in to this face…_I thought silently.

As Fred continued to switch his gaze from the road to my face, he sighed in defeat. "All right, all right. I'll tell you that. Just stop giving me that helpless look," he said as I smiled and squealed with delight, "but _only_ that. We're about ten minutes away."

I took in his words and resumed my previous position of sinking back into my seat. _Ten minutes away…_I pondered, trying to think of where exactly it was he was taking me. He had said earlier to dress nicely, because we were going somewhere special, and that it was an important night for both of us. But the only place I could think of that was ten minutes away was…

_Oh my God._

It seemed he was taking me to _Verano de León_, the most elegant restaurant in the state, let alone town. I gasped softly and sunk lower into my seat, taking in this new information. It wasn't the fact that he was taking me somewhere fancy; it was the fact that this is _the _place. You know, how in every romance movie they have the whole, restaurant where it's basically _only_ there for people to propose? Yeah, well, this would be that place in a movie.

I sat in silence for a while, trying to prepare myself for what I thought was coming. I mean, if that is where we _were_ going, then I had to seriously consider this. Did I really love Fred? Did I want to spend the rest of my life with him? I had to think about this…because I know that if he just asks me I'll say yes right away, without even thinking it through. I mean, that's what happens in a lot of movies, right? The girl gets all teary eyed and then she just nods her head with shock and excitement. Then the movie usually ends, but what they don't show is the aftermath. Watch, I bet nine out of ten times the girl two months after gets frustrated and then bam – they get divorced. They just don't show that to you because they want you to feel happiness and hope for your own life.

I guess my silence was odd to Fred, because I continuously was getting strange looks from him, and his sudden voice brought me back to reality.

"Are you okay?" he asked, taking his hand off the wheel and onto my knee, stroking it lightly.

Shifting my position, I nodded. "Yeah, I…I'm fine," I responded weakly, changing my gaze to out the window. I fixed my skirt that had slid up my thighs, pulling it back over my knees. What was I going to do? Sure, I loved Fred…but did I really want this?

Fred apparently didn't buy my answer. "Are you _sure_ you're okay? You seem suddenly out of it," he observed, taking a left turn onto Maple Avenue.

_Oh God. Maple Avenue. I was right…_

"Yes," I answered shortly, getting a little nervous. We rounded another turn and I could see the restaurant in the distance. At the end of the street, was _Verano de León _in all its glory. It had burgundy banners hanging over the windows, with the restaurant logo on it. I already knew what was inside; tables for two scattered everywhere, with two different colored roses and only lit by candle light.

"Surprised?" Fred asked, startling me out of my thoughts.

Suddenly speechless, I turned and looked at him. I searched for the words inside my head, unexpectedly having trouble and difficulty deciding which ones I should choose. "Fred, really, you shouldn't have-"

He put a finger to my lips. "Yes, I should have. So I did," he whispered, his warm breath tickling my neck.

I swallowed, trying to catch my breath. He then pecked me on the lips, before taking the keys out of the ignition. "Come on, let's go. We don't want to be late for our reservation," he said, unlocking the doors.

I smiled a bit, before reaching for my door handle.

"Wait!" he barked, grabbing my hand, "let me get it," he finished, hopping out of the car and running around the side. I grinned; he was being such a gentleman.

Moments later my door opened, and the all familiar hand appeared, waiting for me to take it. I gladly accepted it and pulled myself out of the car, only to be embraced into his arms.

"You're amazing, you know that?" he whispered in my ear, sending shivers up and down my spine.

Catching my breath, I smiled. He then enlaced his fingers in mine, while shutting the car door. "Let's go in, shall we?" he said grinning, as he began to take a couple steps forward towards the restaurant.

I followed him happily; knowing inside I had made my decision.

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"So sweetheart, how's your dinner?" Fred asked, wiping his mouth clean with his napkin.

Looking up from my plate of spaghetti, I beamed. I also cleaned my mouth free of food and sauce before answering. "Fantastic," I replied, "How are the clams?" I asked in return.

Fred's lips tugged up into a smile. "They're great," he began, "but, um, I need to talk to you," he finished weakly, looking down at the floor.

_Oh God._ Those words had brought me nothing but pain in the last years. Maybe he didn't want to propose to me; maybe he wanted to _break up _with me. _Oh God, oh God, I'm so stupid, why would he want to propose to me anyway? How could I think such a thing? _I thought, mentally smacking myself. I looked down at my food and suddenly felt sick. Standing up clumsily, I stared at Fred.

"Before we do that, uh, Fred, look, I have to-" I started, but he interrupted me.

"No, I have some things to say. Please, just, sit," he said, now also standing, reaching for my hand. "Please."

Looking him in the eyes, I saw that he was serious. I cleared my throat and took back my hand. "Okay, I'll sit," I reasoned, settling myself back in my chair.

He also cleared his throat, before he began to speak. "You and I have been together since our senior year in college. That's an awfully long time to be with someone. I mean, we have so many memories, laughs and good times together, that I've been thinking lately. And, if we were to continue our relationship, I think we should to take it to the next level," he said, fiddling with the cuffs of his shirt, "And I would be very willing to do that."

_Oh God. Here it comes…_

"I guess what I'm trying to say, Gabriella, is I love you. And if you love me too, I hope you will accept this," he added, before getting up and walking over to my side of the table. I felt my heart pick up speed as he continued to lean down on his right knee.

"Gabriella Montez, love of my life, would you make me the happiest man on Earth and marry me?" he spoke, taking my left hand in his.

I switched my gaze from him and watched him pull out a small jewelry box, before opening it and revealing an engagement ring. It was a beautiful ring, having a center diamond with tiny ones surrounding it. Staring at the ring, I felt a gasp escape my lips and my breaths become shorter and quicker. I could also feel the tears well up in my eyes as I looked back up at his face. His eyes held hope, waiting patiently for my answer. Smiling through my tears, I nodded and whispered the words I would later regret escape my lips.

"Yes."

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**Author's Note: Well there you have it. The long awaited chapter two. Haha; I know, not the longest thing either. But it does set an important part in the story. So, I promise I'll have the next chapter up soon. And Fanfiction seriously needs to get the alerts up again. Cause now it's just ridiculous. If you know what I mean. Anyways, hope you enjoyed. XD Please Review! Thanks! **


	3. An Unexpected Rendezvous

**Author's Note: Ugh. Second time uploading this chapter. I uploaded it; but fanfiction did that whole, "15 minute for chapter to show up.." thing. And then it just got deleted and didn't show up. Of course this decides to happen when I decide to update. -sigh- Sometimes I hate my life. **

**But anyway. I know I haven't updated this story enough. I'm sorry. School is a bitch, but I know that's not an excuse. But I promise to try to have better timing with updates, and try to get you guys as many as possible in a short amount of time. Oh, and thank you for all the reviews! They really make my day guys, you have no idea. XD**

**Anyway, on with the next chapter. Well, I think you guys will like it. Towards the end. A couple of characters come back into play –wink wink- and yeah. Sorry about the shortness; it's sort of a filler, but yet has some useful information. What do you call those? Hmm. Yeah, I'll stop talking now. Haha, so enjoy.**

**Disclamier: I do not own High School Musical. **

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"Taylor!" I shouted excitedly, opening my door and throwing my keys on the table. I slipped off my coat and hung it on the back of the door, letting the black leather shine from the sun coming in through the window. I smiled widely; the excitement from my new engagement news was still making me feel all frivolous inside. "Taylor, where are you?" I chanted, getting no answer.

I sighed, before making my way around the living room and towards the bedroom. She was probably in there, listening to her I-Pod and making her plans for her week in Brazil. Taylor was taking a vacation for a week, as she just broke up with her boyfriend of three years, Jared; and said she 'needed some time alone.' At first, I thought she had meant the whole therapy session we usually had when we broke off from a relationship. You know, lots of donuts, cookie dough, ice cream, emotional crying, sappy romantic movies; that kind of a thing. When she said she was going out of the country, I nearly choked on the water I was drinking at the time.

I suddenly stopped in my tracks and considered telling her my news; she had seemed really unhappy about Jared. Since their break up I had held off talking about Fred and our dates altogether, not wanting her to feel worse than she already was. But she would _want _to hear the news for me, right? I mean, just because she wasn't doing well in the relationship department doesn't mean _I_ should hold off a chance of having a good one.

Making my decision, I continued to walk towards Taylor's door, opening it swiftly with a bright smile on my face.

"Taylor-" I started, but stopped when all I was met with was an empty room. I quirked a brow and I extended my head, looking behind the door. O_h_ _yeah, fantastic idea, Gabriella. Like she'd hide behind her door._ I thought to myself stupidly, shaking my head. Pushing my thoughts aside, I took a good look around the room. She was no where to be seen.

"Where are you?" I whispered to myself, closing the door and beginning to walk into the kitchen. My arms started to swing casually beside me, my ring catching my eye. I stopped and leaned on the arm of my couch as I stared at it. I smiled faintly, watching it sparkle and glow in the dimming sunlight pouring through the apartment windows.

Snapping me out of my reverie, my cell phone began to ring at full volume. Jumping up from the side of the couch, I ran to my bag before searching it quickly. Grabbing my vibrating phone, I flipped it open fast.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Gabriella. Did you get my note? I'm assuming not," Taylor's voice rang in my hear.

Creasing my brow, my eyes found their way to the kitchen table, which surely enough, had a piece of paper laying on top.

"Oops. I missed that." I said, laughing quietly at myself.

I heard Taylor laugh on the other line. "Yeah, I see. Anyways, how did your date go?"

I grinned, now grabbing my coat off the back of the door. "It was amazing. But where are you? I have to tell you in person."

On the other line, I could tell Taylor hesitated. "Uh, I'm at Starbucks," she answered.

"Okay, great. I'll be there in a minute," I said excitedly, opening the door.

"But Gabriella, I should warn you-" she started, but I interrupted.

"You can warn me when I get there. I'll be right over," I said, before closing my phone shut with a snap.

The local Starbucks was around the corner from mine and Taylor's apartment; it was so close you could walk there. I stepped out of the apartment building, pulling my jacket tighter around me. It was usually warmer around this time of year, but lately the temperatures had been lower than normal. Brushing off a shiver, I rounded the corner, where in the middle of a shopping center, was Starbucks. I grinned widely as I made my way up the parking lot, eager to tell Taylor my news.

I swung the door open, letting another customer pass to leave. I brushed past them quickly, before walking in and scanning the crowd for Taylor. I smiled as I saw the back of her head, sitting at a small table by the window. I began to walk towards her, but stopped in my tracks when I saw a very familiar person sitting with her, with a _very_ familiar curly, bouncy afro.

_Oh my God, _I thought. _It's Chad. _I stared at him for a moment; he still had the afro, but his face looked more mature. I could still see his muscle through the sleeves of his shirt, it was apparent that he had worked out since high school. Cocking my head to the side, I stared at them; Taylor laughing at something he had said. I continued to watch them for awhile, after stepping behind a person in line; hiding me from their vision. This to me was odd; Taylor was so unhappy this morning, and just now when she was with _him_, she was acting as if nothing had ever happened. For first time in three weeks; Taylor had laughed. Though as I continued to examine the two, I also noticed there was another coffee cup sitting there, in one of the vacated seats. Who else was sitting there? Did they get it for me?

I finally decided that I should come out from behind the person, and say hello. I mean, if I didn't, I was just being rude. Sighing, I began to make my way over to the table.

"Hello Taylor," I greeted, coming up behind her. Pretending to look over for the first time, I beamed when I spotted Chad. "Chad! Long time, no see!" I exclaimed, moving so I could hug him properly.

"Hey, Gabriella. Taylor was just talking about you," he said, pulling out from our embrace.

I smiled lightly, before placing myself down in one of the vacated seats. "Really? And what did Taylor have to say?" I asked, raising my eyebrows as I switched my gaze over to Taylor.

With a wave of her hand, Taylor smiled and looked away. "Oh, nothing, just the usual. How you've been a great help to me for the pas-" she stopped abruptly, staring at my left hand, which was now placed on the table.

"Gabriella, let me see your left hand," she said slowly, reaching out for it.

Grinning widely, I gladly handed over my left hand. Taylor took it quickly, pulling it towards her forcefully. She stared at my ring finger, observing the heavy diamond that was now placed on my finger. "Oh my God," she breathed; now looking at me. "He did this tonight?"

Still smiling, I took back my hand and nodded. By accident, however, when I pulled my hand back, my elbow knocked into the 'un-owned' coffee cup; sending it flying into the person who was trying to sit down next to me. Absolutely horrified, I stood up and grabbed napkins, immediately trying to clean up the mess.

"Oh, sir, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to-" I began apologizing, but was interrupted by an all too familiar voice.

"It's okay, Gabriella. I wouldn't worry about it." The male voice said, laughing a bit.

My hand froze in its spot. Slowly I lifted my head to look up; only to find my high school sweetheart staring back.

**Author's Note: HAHA! Cliffhanger. You can all thank JolieMarie because she's the one who encouraged me to end it there. XD Anyway, I promise I'll try to get the next chapter out soon. Please review! Thanks! Reviews are my encouragement, after all...**


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